I’ve been guilty of accepting that how I feel is just “how it is”. There is a tendency to merely find ways to get through the day, rather than ways to make each day better than the last. Why should we accept things we have the potential to change and more importantly, improve? It is as if pride gets in the way and that looking for a solution means accepting that there is an issue in the first place. Even now, I would never classify myself as having suffered from depression and I truly believe that. It may just be stubbornness and pride that men especially seem to hide behind but I believe a big part was my initial lack of understanding of just what mental health encompassed. Having come from a loving, stable and supportive background, I didn’t feel I had the right to feel the way I did, let alone complain about it. I learnt that mental health is not so black and white. It is more of a spectrum, one that we are all on. You may not be dealing with depression but it is important to understand that having more bad days instead of good days isn’t something that has to be accepted as just part of modern life. My perception that I didn’t have the right to complain about these low days was wrong. Your experiences are your own and even those you experienced them with will perceive things differently. Therefore, there is no comparison, there is your experience and your perception. It is subjective, just like an opinion, but the great thing about opinions is they can change. Opinions can change when they are presented with new information which can come from all around us. Whether it be an organisation such as HUMEN or a conversation with a friend. Any proactive action you take can allow you to understand different perceptions. It won’t always be the answer, but it may help you see things from a perspective you would never have even imagined. Submission @leewatson942